Cuff link construction



June 14, 1949. J. M. OLDAK CUFF LINK CONSTRUCTION Filed June 18, 1948 INVENTOR. JACOB M- OADAK BY A TTOQ/VEY Patented june 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,472,958 CUFF LINK CONSTRUCTION Jacob M. Oldak, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,870

4 Claims.

This invention relates to jewelry findings in the form of swivel mounted bar toggles, and more directly to such swiveling bar toggle assemblies of improved construction as used for cuff links and the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve constructions of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts that are easily assembled, which shall be cheap to manufacture and particularly adapted for quantity production, which shall include a novel two-way spring detent swiveling bar toggle assembly, which shall be free from rivets and which shall be eflicient and practical to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is shown.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cuff link assembly showing the swiveling bar toggle in effective releasably locked position for retaining cuff ends (not shown) interlocked in the well understood manner.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4l, respectively, showing various parts exposed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the swiveling bar toggle swung into a releasably locked position for inserting into place for engagement with cull= button holes (not shown) in the well understood manner.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the bar toggle of the improved cuff link, the hollow shell of said bar being shown in section, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of the yoke link rigidly mounting a button constructed to embody the invention, the bar toggle being removed.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l0 denotes a cufi link construction made with a swievling bar toggle two-way spring detent assembly embodying the invention.

Said cuff link Ill may be made of suitable cast, molded or stamped material having an ornamental button I l rigidly mounted by soldering or otherwise on end [2a of a flattened yoke l2 in a right angle relation thereto, the other end l2-o of said link [2 having the midportion of an elongated bar toggle l3 swivelly mounted to pivot thereon to form a two-way, that is, two-position spring detent assembly, as is clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 5. I

Yoke link I2 when made of metal may be stamped from flat sheet material with a central opening or cutout lZc to provide a frame work formed with intermediate spaced apart arms l2d which integrally extend from said button mounting end In to an integrally formed cross side portion or cross-piece I26, rectangular in cross section. The arms [2d may extend slightly beyond the crosspiece as at Hi to provide spaced aligning guard bracing means on opposite sides of the bar toggle l3 in the manner hereinafter described.

Said yoke central opening I 20 is made to permit free entry of the bar toggle l3 when swung from the position shownin Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 5.

Bar toggle l3 may be constructed of a front and side outer dished shell [3a, preferably formed of a single piece, and a rear side strip closure l3b firmly secured to form with said shell la a hollow body structure, the latter having closed opposite tapering, that is beveled ends Be integrally formed as part of shell l3a.

Within said hollow body structure forming bar toggle l3 there extends lengthwise a fiat spring I 4 which is bowed in the mid-portion Ha thereof so as to be positioned away from the interior side of front wall l3d of shell l3a and to spring press against crosspiece I 26. The latter when assembled passes freely through spaced slots I3e provided in longitudinally extending walls I31 of said shell [3a and against the interior side of rear closure I3b as is clear from Figs. 1 to 6 inelusive.

Rear closure l3b may be made of a. stiff strip material preferably of greater thickness than that forming shell l3a, the opposite ends [39 of strip closure |3b being cut back to provide seats for inwardly bent tabs l3h which terminate shell I3a, said tabs l3h being secured in seated overlapping position to provide a rigid structure of said shell l3a with closure l3b.

The utility of the improved construction embodying the invention will now be apparent after making and assembling the cuff link parts as described above and shown in the drawing, bar toggle I3 is swung on crosspiece I26 as a pivoting axis from the position shown in Fig. 1 into opening I20, and in relative alignment with the length of yoke link It, as seen from Fig. 5. A spring detent is formed with the swiveling bar toggle l3 being releasably retained in said position changes might be made in by the opposite fiat sides of crosspiece lZc being pressed between the mid-portion Ila of spring l4 and the interior wall of closure l3b. Cufi link I I! may then be inserted into button holes of cufi (not shown) in the well understood manner. The opposite beveled ends I30 of the bar toggle l3 may preferably each be made to present sharp extreme edges [iii to facilitate entering the bar toggle l3 into said cuff button holes.

After cuff link 10 has been inserted in place, as described above, bar toggle I3 is swung into effective position from the position shown in Fig. to that shown in Fig. 1 for retaining the cuffs, said bar toggle I! then being in relatively right angle relation with respect to the plane of the yoke link 12 and thereby prevents releasing the cuiis. In this latter position as seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 4, opposite flat sides of the yoke crosspiece Re are again pressed between the spring mid-portion Ila and the interior wall of closure i3b thus positioning the parts for a second time to provide a spring detent with the swiveling bar toggle l3 releasably retained in said position.

To remove the cuii link 10, the bar toggle i3 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 5 and then withdrawn through the button holes of the cuff in the well understood manner, (not shown).

Guard bracing means 12f extending from arms IZd serve to eliminate angular movement of the toggle l3 with respect to the pivotal axis of-erosspiece He in both the above described positions and while pivoting therebetween.

If desired the button Il may be mounted on end Il2a of a modified form of yoke link I2 in angular relation thereto as shown in Fig. I to better conform the cut! link to the slopeof the end at the button hole.

It has been found advantageous to use a nonferrous alloy in the yoke link 12. bar toggle I3 as well as the spring H to permit the out! link to be finished in a pickling bath and yet avoid undesirable discoloration of the metal caused by the presence of iron.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an improved cuff link construction whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent;

1. A cuff link of the character described comprising a flat yoke link having intermediate spaced apart arms bordering on a central opening, a button mounting portion terminating one end of the yoke, an integrally formed cross-piece of rectangular cross section interconnecting said arms at the other end of said yoke to border on said opening, an elongated bar toggle swivelly mounted through a mid-portion thereof on said cross-piece, said bar toggle formed of an elongated hollow shell having tapering opposite ends and parallelly aligning side walls, a closure strip for said shell having opposite ends thereof formed with cut-backs, tabs integrally formed to extend from said tapering opposite ends bent on a rear side of said shell to neatly fit into said cutbacks for overlappingly securing said strip thereto to provide a smooth rear exterior surface for freely sliding in and out oi cuff button holes, and a bowed leaf spring housed within said shell in operative engagement with said cross-piece, the latter extending between said spring and the closure strip to serve as a releasable detent means on pivotal angular movement of said bar toggle with respect to said cross-piece.

2. A cufi link as defined in claim 1 in which spaced apart integrally formed projections extend from said yoke link arms beyond the crosspiece to provide aligning guard bracing means between which the bar toggle pivots.

3 A swivel bar toggle of the character described formed with an elongated bar toggle of rectangular cross section swivelly mounted transversely on a rectangular cross-piece, said bar toggle comprising a dished shell having tapered opposite ends each terminating in an edge for freely sliding in and out of cuff button holes, said shell formed with parallelly aligning side walls, a rear wall closure strip for said shell having opposite ends of said strip provided with cutbacks, tabs integrally formed and bent at said edges toward each other on a rear side of said bar toggle neatly fitted into said cut-backs for overlappingly securing said strip thereto. and a bowed leaf spring housed within said shell in operative engagement with said cross-piece. the latter extending between said spring and said closure strip to serve as a releasable detent means on pivotal angular movement of said bar toggle with respect to said cross-piece.

4. In combination. a one-piece yoke formed with spaced apart link arms and a cross-bar of rectangular cross section, an aligning guard bracing projection extending from each arm beyond said cross-bar. an elongated swivel bar toggle of rectangular cross-section swivelly mounted transversely. on said cross-piece between said bracing projections, said bar toggle comprising a dished shell having parallelly aligning side walls terminating in tapered end portions, a rear side closure strip for said shell having opposite ends of said strip provided with cut-backs, tabs integrally formed with said end portions and bent toward each other to clampingly secure the strip in closed position and neatly fitted into said outbacks to present a smooth freely sliding surface into and out of cuff button holes, and a bowed leaf spring housed within the shell in operative engagement with said cross-piece to serve as a releasable detent means on pivoted movement of said bar toggle on said cross-piece.

JACOB M. OLDAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 423,841 Visanska Mar. 18, 1890 2,396,668 Anderson Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,184 Great Britain, 1878 May 31, 1878 

